Mega Man Ж: New Dawn
by SolidSonicTH
Summary: Set in a dark, alternate future over 100 years after Mega Man Battle Network where the NetNavis have been defeated by a new WWW. My attempt at creating a "Mega Man Battle Network X". The character in the title is pronounced "zhe".
1. Prologue

**Mega Man ****Ж****: New Dawn**

_Prologue_

_DISCLAIMER: I do not own any character from the Battle Network franchise and make no claim of such._

A lone Navi peruses an archive of data files from the defunct company Interdyne Technologies when one catches his eye.

_The year is 2048. In our world, the computer network known as 'the Net' is an integral part of life. Our lives are aided by artificially intelligent beings called 'NetNavis' that help us use the Net._

_At least…they would have…_

_37 years ago, a major catastrophe happened in our world. When I was younger, a terror organization was causing chaos on the Net. They were known as the 'WWW', or 'World 3'. However, through the efforts of a talented and brave individual, the WWW was thwarted time and again. Eventually their leader was reformed and it seemed like the end…but it was not. 2 years later, when I was 13, the WWW reappeared under the command of 'Egen', a former lieutenant from the original WWW. __This new WWW had considerably different motives than the original, the only thing being the same in the name. This WWW was focused on Net domination rather than eradication as Egen believed controlling the Net was the way to ensure a perfect future, not its destruction.__ Egen was a master NetNavi researcher and technician. He had an understanding of NetNavi technology that rivaled even Yuichiro__ Hikari, one of the most knowledgeable men on the subject of NetNavis in the world and…my father…_

_For years, Egen had been researching NetNavi duplication; the idea that a separate copy of the NetNavi with its own artificial intelligence could be created and used on the Net. Up to this point, the NetNavi system had been governed by an ID link to its operator in order to prevent the spread of unoperated Navis. Navis with IDs that were the same as other Navis would be declined access to the Net. Navis have their IDs assigned at creation and it cannot be changed as doing so would entirely destabilize the Navi and cause it to cease functioning. However, Egen was successful in circumventing the system, allowing him to create multiples of the same Navi which he would be able to operate all at once. This would lead to disaster when Egen finally unleashed his NetNavi army in a massive attack against the Net. Around the world, WWW operated Navis and their clones began pouring into the Net, attempting to overthrow every server they could._

_By this point in my life I was accepted as an Official NetBattler in recognition of my unofficial service to the NetBattler cause. I was on the frontlines of this battle against this new WWW. It was my duty to protect the network that our daily lives relied on as it was my Navi's, . The struggle was long and difficult but eventually it looked like we had pushed back the WWW. We had reached the final battle with the remaining NetNavi forces of Egen and Egen himself. However, this would prove to be our greatest mistake._

_During the struggle on the WWW server, Egen detonated a 'cyber bomb' that was designed to separate the Navis from their operators by severing the communication between the Navi and the interface device known as the 'PET'. In an instant, all communication I had with Megaman had ceased, as had everyone else who was present at the battle. After the first cyber bomb was detonated, several other cyber bombs went off across the Net, severing ties between the PET and their Navis across the board. With a single action, Egen had managed to isolate any and all resistance to his forces from their operators. Without operators, Navis cannot receive commands or use Battle Chips. This…is where we lost…_

_Egen's forces had shielded themselves from the effect of the bomb and went on to decimate the now–stranded Navi army with ease. Many Navis, including those of my friends, were callously deleted forever. Even Navis who were not involved in the conflict were deleted without care by Egen's squadrons. Those that remained never were able to jack out so they were lost in the vast reaches of the Net forever, permanently separated from their operators. I never saw Megaman after that day. I don't know what became of him during that battle, or if he even survived. 35 years later, the WWW is now the sole proprietor of the Net. Due to the world's reliance on the Net, the WWW has become a global superpower. The Navis and operators unaffected by the cyber bomb attacks attempted to strike back at the WWW but their efforts were met with defeat time and again. The WWW's control of the Net is unquestioned. All NetNavis now are required to register with the WWW's central server for permanent tracking both on the Net and inside the PET unit. Information flowing across the Net is carefully monitored by the WWW and censored where they deem appropriate. Heavy taxes are levied on all Net transactions in the cyber world and Battle Chips are regulated meticulously here in the real world. The rogue Navis who were not deleted following the cyber bomb incident are constantly being hunted by the WWW's extermination forces to ensure they are deleted. Their numbers are few now and they rarely travel over the open lines of the Net. Viruses are rampant, many of which were put there by the WWW, turning the Net into a veritable wasteland one cannot traverse without proper preparation. However, information still has to flow so Net usage remains a regular task for any NetNavi operator._

_I am working as a network scientist these days. I despise the WWW and only work in the field to continue the progress of my father, Dr. Hikari. I still have the PET that I used to operate Megaman, as a sign of hope that someday we might finally be reunited. Every day I search for a sign that he is still intact and that someday we will fight together again. I know that he has not given up so easily and will continue to resist the WWW until the day he is deleted._

_**Lan Hikari, Networking Systems Researcher of Interdyne**_

"Lan…if you only knew…" the Navi said quietly after he had finished reading. He closed the data file and returned it to the archive.

_**To Be Continued…**_

_(Author's Note: I don't exactly know how much of this I'll get written but I wanted to put down some ideas to kind of get the flow going. I wouldn't mind suggestions and also I'd like to know if I violated any major continuity issues as I have never actually finished a Battle Network game before.)_


	2. Chapter 1: First Contact

**Mega Man Ж: New Dawn**

_Chapter 1: First Contact_

_Seventy Years Later…_

"Unf!" he grunted as he was thrown out of the building. "What's the big deal? Why are you being so rough?"

"Psh, you know what you did, Nat," one of the security officials said. "The WWW doesn't allow snooping in places you don't belong, especially on company time."

"You've got to be kidding me," Nat cried. "What did I do? My Navi hanging out over at a WWW data cache, so what? It's not like I accessed it! The WWW is all wrong! How can they possibly know what I was doing?!" The security officer just laughed it off.

"Whatever you say," a second security official scoffed as he walked out the front door with a box full of decorations. "Here's the crap from your office. Sadly I think you'll be decorating your house with this stuff. I doubt anyone's going to give you a job in this town if they find out you were attempting to screw around with WWW."

"He threw the box onto the sidewalk with contempt, spilling most of the contents on the ground. "Oh," he said as he pulled out something from behind him. "And here's your PET. We took the courtesy of formatting it for you."

"You destroyed my NetNavi?!" Nat cried in disbelief. "Why?!"

"Think of it as a going away present from us," the first security guard said with a slight laugh. The security official threw the PET down, breaking it. They abruptly turned around and went back inside the office complex.

Nat got off the ground and let out a long sigh. He looked at the spilled contents of the box. _I guess they're right,_ he thought. _I don't think I'm going to be finding any work in Ethnet City…not with the WWW keeping track of all Net traffic._

Nat was a network engineer for a popular online store. After his NetNavi had been caught looking into a restricted part of the Net controlled by the WWW from a company terminal, his business was informed by the WWW and he was promptly fired. He picked up the shattered PET to take home and repair. Gathering up the remainder of his belongings in the box, he made his way to his car. _I get why I was fired but why destroy my NetNavi? Now it'll be nearly impossible for me to get a new one…_ He thought as he drove home. _The WWW is way too powerful…they spy on all of our network communications and run everything in the Net…I wish there was a way I could change all this. I wish…I could give the Net to the world rather than let the WWW be the one and only entity…no one should have the power to control the flow of information._

When he got home, he tossed his box onto the couch of his apartment and shuffled over to his computer. _At least I can still do something…_ He pulled out the broken remains of his PET and took it over to his work bench.

After working on repairing the PET for a few hours, Nat received a message on his computer.

"Eh? Who could be sending me a message now?" he said to himself. He walked over to the screen and looked at the sender.

{ **XE: I need help. Are you there? **}

_XE?_ He thought as he stared at the message. _I don't know anyone named 'XE'._ He reached over his keyboard and began typing.

{ _NatMan11: Yeah, I'm here. Who is this?_

**XE: I need your help. I saw what happened to you today…you seem like someone who could help me.**

_NatMan11: OK, but how can I help you?_

**XE: I am a NetNavi…I need you to meet me. I have to ask a favor of you.**

_NatMan11: I don't have a NetNavi, the place where I worked destroyed my NetNavi when I was fired._

**XE: It's not an issue. I can meet you another way then. Do you have a PET?**

_NatMan11: Yeah, I've got a PET but it's damaged right now. I have to fix it._

**XE: Can you have it fixed in an hour?**

_Natman11: Yes._

**XE: Fix it and then go to the communications tower around the block and connect the PET in an hour. I'll enter the PET and then we can talk.** }

The mysterious Navi then broke off the message. _It needs my help? I wonder why…_ Nat pondered. He returned to his work bench to finish working on his PET.

An hour later, Nat's PET was repaired and he was waiting at the communications tower. He plugged the PET in and turned it on. _Hope it knows I'm here… _He looked down at the PET screen and saw a progress bar appear, indicating that it was downloading something from the communications tower. After letting it finish, he unplugged the PET.

"Hello? Are you in there?" he said to his PET, hoping that the Navi he had talked to online would be inside. As he looked at the screen, the image of a human-like figure came into focus. It was blue and was wearing a helmet with yellow highlights.

"Hello, and thank you for coming," it said back. Its eyes were a vibrant green color.

"Who are you?" Nat asked.

"I am a NetNavi from a distant past. Over a century ago, I was involved in a global struggle to reclaim the Net from the vile WWW organization, the same one who runs your network today." he began. "Are you 'Nat Mirochu'?" he asked. Nat nodded his head. "Go back to your apartment, I'll explain more there."

The PET put itself into a suspension mode. Nat, still somewhat confused, returned to apartment with his PET. He switched it back on.

"Alright, we're back at the apartment," Nat told the Navi inside his PET. "Tell me what's going on here."

"Very well. Many years ago, the Net as you know it now was a much more liberated place. While there were still occurrences of netcrime, it was not as it is today with the WWW in 100% control of all Net activity," he explained. "When the WWW attacked the Net in 2011, I was among the NetBattlers called on to oppose them."

"Who are you?" Nat asked, still uncertain whether he should trust the mysterious Navi.

"Back when I was an active NetBattler, my name was ''. However, I have since become known as 'Megaman XE', or simply 'Xe' for short," he explained.

"''? I've heard that name before…you were a legendary NetNavi from years ago but mysteriously vanished after a battle with the old WWW," Nat said, amazed he'd be speaking to a being of such infamy.

"Please, I don't care for pointless titles," he continued. "That struggle against the WWW became known as the 'Great Navi Eradication' when their new leader, Egen, severed the communication ties between countless Navis from and their operators. He then proceeded to delete all the opposing Navis. Without having operators on their side, all the world's opposition to Egen and the WWW easily fell and the Net was in the WWW's hands, leading to becoming as you see it today. It was during this battle that I was separated from my operator, Lan Hikari. I haven't seen him in over 100 years."

"That's awful," Nat said. "So how have you survived? The WWW reportedly eliminated every Navi without an operator."

"I've managed to stay underground, hiding inside server kernels around the globe. The WWW eradication forces have deleted many of the Navis who managed to survive that battle but a very few select of us still remain in the cyber underground. All of us want nothing more than to see the end of the WWW and their stranglehold on the Net."

"So how did you find out about me?" Nat asked.

"When you discovered the WWW data cache today, I was nearby," he explained. "I knew immediately you had an interest in the WWW and could potentially help me finally put an end to the WWW. I know my operator Lan died years ago without ever finding me because I had to go into hiding to protect myself from the WWW's eradication forces. I have vowed that someday I would find a competent operator who would help me strike back at the WWW and restore freedom to the Net."

"What became of Lan? Do you know?" Nat asked.

"All I know is he became a research technician for a company called 'Interdyne Technologies', which went out of business thanks to the WWW many years ago. I found a data file from fifty years back that indicated he worked for them at one time," Xe told him. "He hated the WWW and was only working as a network researcher to help further the art of networking as a whole, a continuation of his father's mission. I will never forgive myself for not returning to Lan but at least I can avenge our separation by defeating the WWW."

"Why has it taken you so long to find an operator? Why did you choose me after over 100 years?"

"No one I've reached out to has had the interest in the WWW I was looking for…the conviction to help me bring them down at any cost," Xe replied. "Your interest in the WWW's data cache proved to me that you want the system to change. That you weren't afraid of the consequences of meddling in WWW affairs…so that's why I decided you would be the one…will you help?"

Nat thought about the consequences of engaging the WWW. He too did not like the WWW's iron blanket of authority over all Net-based communication. "I've always envisioned a better world where the Net would be free to use by anyone and their Navi…not this façade of an existence we lead in today's Net. The WWW chokes out all information flow and censors data when they don't agree with it. I want that to end. What do you plan to do?" Nat asked.

"I want to infiltrate the WWW central server and delete whatever is running it. Doing so will shut down the network and will make it possible to entirely reset the Net," Xe said. "I need a willing operator who can help me fight through the WWW forces."

"But I don't have any net battle experience," Nat said. "On top of that, Battle Chips are closely monitored. When you purchase them you have to register your PET with the chip. As soon as they discover I was using the chip to operate a Navi from the Navi war they'll hunt you down and delete you."

"True but I have friends who may be able to help. There is an underground cell of WWW resistance operators in Ethnet City. I have contacts with their Navis and they can help you," Xe told him. "They can provide you with battle training as well as 'clean' chips that don't need registration to use."

Nat contemplated Xe's words. _I agree with Xe, something has to change. The WWW is normally too powerful and too oppressive…_ Nat thought. _But if a legend like is actually asking for my help in defeating them, it may be possible. The Net should belong to the world, not the WWW._

"I accept," he told Xe with confidence. "If you are who you say you are, then I think we may stand a chance against the WWW forces."

"Thank you. There are more Navis who survived the WWW's Navi eradication. If you locate operators for them, they will be able to join us."

"Where can I find this underground cell…?" Nat asked.

_**To be continued…**_

_(Some notes: in keeping with Battle Network tradition, I have named the human protagonist "Nat" to reference NAT, or Network Address Translation. Also, yes, "Xe" should be pronounced "zhe". See, I had a use for the title.)_


	3. Chapter 2: Training

**Mega Man Ж: New Dawn**

_Chapter 2: Training_

"Are you sure they're in this part of the city?" Nat asked his PET. "I don't come to the slums every day…"

"Yes. The rebel operators convene in the lower city at the abandoned downtown metro station," Xe replied.

Nat was walking through a desolate sector of the city. Long since disused, the Ethnet City slums were a place for criminals and outcasts to congegrate. A dead wind blew through the unkept streets. Nat pulled his jacket up slightly to shield himself.

"This is the place, Downtown Metro," Xe said when Nat was standing in front of a set of stairs leading down to a subway terminal. "Go down and jack into the first port you see."

Nat made his way down the old stairway into the subway station. He flipped on a flashlight to make out the dark underground.

"I can see why they chose this place. No one would ever look down here…" Nat said as he carefully stepped down the stairs. He shined his beam along the walls, looking for a data port. "Here it is," he said when he encountered a port attached to an old schedule display board on the wall at the bottom of the stairs. "Jack in, Xe."

He plugged the PET into the board and uploaded Xe into the board. He watched the PET to observe as Xe materialized inside the cyber world.

Inside the cyber world, Xe looked out across the digital domain. "It's me, Xe!" he called out, hoping someone would hear. The cyber world seemed empty until three beams of blue light flashed onto the plane. The beams gave way to the figures of three NetNavis. The first, a bulky Navi with a bull's head and heavy blue armor, greeted him.

"Xe, I see you've come," he said in a gruff tone.

"Yes, Minos, I'm back and I've brought an operator," Xe replied.

The second Navi was a smaller, female Navi with a red color scheme. She had a minigun-like attachment on her left arm and bore sharp eyes. "An operator? It's about time," she said with a hint of dissatisfaction. She placed her hand on her hip to express her skepticism.

"Please, Blitz, hear him out," the third Navi said. He was a taller Navi with a black coat that surrounded his armor. He had on a sleek, gold helmet with fins at the back. He put his hand on the female Navi's shoulder.

"Thank you, Faze," Xe replied. "Let us in and you can meet him."

"Very well," Faze replied. "I'll open the door."

In the real world, the wall on the other side of the digital board slid open, revealing a secret hallway. "What is this?" Nat said in astonishment. The hall was brightly lit, unlike the rest of the subway, and seemed much newer than the subway station. The floors inside were smooth tile and white walls.

"Go in there," Xe said. "I'll join you once you're downstairs."

Nat disconnected the PET and entered the hallway. After he was inside, the door behind him slid shut. _I really hope Xe wasn't lying about this place. I don't exactly like being led into traps…_ he thought.

After walking around two turns, the hallway emptied out at an elevator lift. Nat cautiously stepped onto the lift. _Now what… _he wondered as he waited for the next occurrence. As soon as he was fully onto the platform, the lift's gate closed and began to descend into a long shaft. Beams of light flashed by as the lift continued downwards. After about a minute, the lift slowed down at the bottom. The gate lowered and Nat was standing before another hallway. At the far end was a set of sliding doors. Nat approached them and stood in front.

"Hello?" he said, hoping someone on the other side might hear. "I'm Xe's operator, he sent me down here."

The sliding doors slowly opened, revealing behind them a large control room-like area. Computers and monitors lined the walls and in the center of the room was a holographic display unit. Inside were sitting three other people. They were wearing dark black clothing and sported a range of hairstyles.

"So you're the punk that Xe dug up, eh?" the first one said. She flipped back her flashy pink hair. "Psh, can't say he picked the cream of the crop."

"Why would he choose someone as weak-looking as you?" another one of them stepped in. He sported long hair that was tied into a braid and spoke with a belligerent tone. "Have you ever operated a Navi before?"

Nat was kind of flustered at the bad attitude of the people inside the room. "Well…ah…er…" he stammered, trying to make a good impression.

"You better hope Xe vouches for you or we got no business with ya," the last one said. He was clearly the biggest of the three and looked like the leader among the group. He had his hair in a buzz cut with a small braid at the bottom and spoke with a deep, intimidating voice.

"Lay off him," Xe's voice suddenly quipped in. Xe's image flashed onto the holographic display at the center of the room. "He's the guy I sent down here."

The three people running the room turned to face the display. "Xe, this guy claims he's the one you picked as your operator," the one with the braid said. "Did you choose some rookie? I thought you were better than that."

"Yeah, he is. His name is 'Nat Mirochu' and he's going to help us take down the WWW," Xe replied.

Minos appeared on the central display alongside Xe. "Xe's told us about him and…I think he's got potential. You should at least help him out, Max." Nat could tell he was addressing the larger member of the group.

"Can we trust him? I mean we only got your word on him, Xe," the female operator added.

Blitz's image was added to the collection displayed on the hologram. "He was just fired from his job because the WWW suspected him of snooping, Cat. I don't think you have anything to worry about. I'm pretty sure this guy doesn't have any kind of good feelings towards the WWW."

The last Navi with the long black coat stepped into the image. "Pryce, I think we should believe Xe and let his operator join. If everything he said is true, Nat could be the one we've been waiting for to finally help us. If you assist him, he could lead us to victory."

The three operators looked at each other uneasily. After a brief silence, Cat spoke up.

"Fine, we'll let him in but if he can't cut it we got no reason to keep him around, agreed?" she said to the Navis.

"Agreed," Blitz told her operator. With that, the holographic display shut off.

Nat looked uneasily at the three operators until Pryce extended his hand. "Well then…I suppose we should get better acquainted," he said, now with a friendlier demeanor. Nat gingerly took his hand and shook it. "My name is 'Pryce'. This is 'Cat' and 'Max'."

The two others still looked somewhat resistant but Cat likewise came over to shake Nat's hand. "We are the 'New Dawn Net Resistance'," she explained. "We serve two functions: to oppose the WWW's control of the Net and to offer refuge to Navis trying to escape the extermination forces."

"Our storage servers here offer a place for operator-less NetNavis to remain, safe from deletion by the WWW," Max continued. He pointed to the large server in the corner of the room. "The resistance force has been in place for years."

Nat nodded. "I'm assuming those were your Navis," he said to the group.

"Yeah," Pryce said. "The one with the long coat is 'Faze' and he's mine. The one with the minigun is 'Blitz' and she belongs to Cat. And the big guy with the minotaur head is 'Minos' and Max is his operator. The Net underground is the only place where you'll see custom Navis like that."

"It places us in danger to have customized Navis but…we stick with what we believe in, even if it's risky," Max said. "We won't let the WWW hold us down."

"I had heard of this group in the news…but they made you seem much larger in the past," Nat said thoughtfully.

"We have multiple chapters around the world…however, in this region our numbers have fallen thanks to aggressive efforts by the WWW," Cat said with a twinge of regret in her voice. "Their influence on the Net is too great and…we have been the ones to suffer. If we don't put an end to the WWW soon, there won't be enough of us to fight back."

"Xe has been operating as a reconnaissance Navi for the past 20 years. He's worked for numerous New Dawn chapters in helping to undermine the WWW," Pryce said. "We believe he is the key to our success in taking back the Net but his refusal to find a new operator has hindered us."

"Xe is an intelligent Navi who has seen many things during his time on the run from the WWW. He's gained a lot of experience but to take back the Net, he needs a competent operator to help him," Max told Nat. "That's why you're here. It's taken him over a hundred years but he may finally have found someone who can support him in the real world."

Nat looked at the three operators. He was overwhelmed with the idea he had been called up to help the resistance. He looked down at his PET and contemplated.

"I'll help you," Nat said after some thought. "However, I need experience in net battles. My NetNavi was never qualified to participate in net battles so I have never done it before."

"Well, that's why Xe said you should come to us, I assume," Cat said. She walked over to one of the terminals along the edge of the room and entered some commands on the keyboard. "We have a viral battle simulator on these machines. We keep copies of viruses on here to further perfect our net battling skills and to better synchronize with our Navis."

As Cat set up the simulator, Max walked over to the opposite wall and pressed a switch, revealing a hidden closet full of metal briefcases. He took one out and opened it for Nat to see. Inside was a vast collection of PET chips. "These are 'clean' battle chips," he told Nat. "These are battle chips that aren't regulated by the WWW so you'll be able to use them on the Net without the WWW knowing they were being used. We've managed to amass a large collection of these from help of various underground members."

Nat pulled out a few of the chips and looked at them. They had labels like 'Sword Y' and 'Vulcan1 G'.

"Nat, the program's ready," Cat called him over. "Xe is already in the system. Jack your PET in and you can begin operating him."

Nat plugged his PET into the terminal and it immediately lit up with battle information. Readouts of things such as Xe's status, logistical operating information, and slots for chips were displayed on the PET's screen. In the center of the screen a live display of Xe was shown and standing opposite him were some virtual Mettaur viruses.

"What happens now?" Nat asked.

"You're in control, Nat," Xe told him. "I'll battle the viruses, you supply me with instructions on how to battle and equip battle chips."

"The difficulty in the simulator is set to '2'," Cat said. "There are 10 difficulty settings. We'll get you up to level 10. After that we can have some real fun."

"Alright…" Nat said nervously. He looked at the PET and set the battle range to 'mid' and then inserted two Cannon chips. "Ready to go, Xe…" Nat said as he sent the chips into Xe.

Inside the simulator, Xe analyzed the three Mettaur viruses. They stared back at him with their beady eyes from beneath their shiny yellow hardhats. The closest Mettaur moved into position and raised a pickaxe. When it hit the ground, a shockwave emerged from the point of impact.

"Here we go…" Xe said quietly. He leapt over the shockwave and peppered the Mettaur with Buster shots. Xe shifted his weight and set down out of line with the first Mettaur. As he landed, the second Mettaur took a position in front of Xe and launched another shockwave. Xe's arm transformed into a cannon as he leapt over the second shockwave. As he remained airborne, he aimed his cannon and destroyed the Mettaur virus in one shot. The Mettaur evaporated into data fragments as Xe's arm returned to normal.

"Yes!" Nat said from the real world as he watched Xe battle. The third Mettaur had Xe lined up for a shockwave but Xe, reacting in an instant, transformed his arm into a cannon again and returned fire before the Mettaur could even bring down its pickaxe. As it disintegrated, Xe began to glow and a pink halo began floating around him.

"Impressive," Pryce said while observing. "Xe scored a counter hit."

"Counter?" Nat asked.

"Yeah. If your Navi takes out a virus right before they attack, they go into a mode called 'Full Synchro'," Pryce explained. "It ramps up the power of your next chip and makes it easier for you to score more counter hits. Your PET will indicate right before the enemy is about to attack and if you can hit it at that time, you stay in Full Synchro."

Nat nodded and returned his attention to the PET. He adjusted the range to point blank and loaded a Sword chip into the PET. Xe stood in front of the last Mettaur. He moved left and right in an effort to confuse the virus as he closed the gap to point blank range. As Nat watched Xe move in, he saw the Mettaur raise its pickaxe. At the same instant, the screen flashed in inverted colors and it appeared as it if had briefly paused. Nat immediately knew this was the indication that the virus was about to strike and that he could use the opportunity to score another counter. "Now!" he shouted at Xe. In a flash, Xe was standing in front of the virus and had cut through it faster than his operator could blink. It disintegrated and the simulator program ended.

"Hm…not bad for someone who's never operated in a net battle before," Pryce said when the simulator had completed. Nat was looking fairly excited as he reflected on his victory. "You actually got some talent." Pryce tapped his foot and raised his hand to his chin as if he was planning something. "Say…let's just skip the games, eh?"

"What are you suggesting?" Cat said with concern.

"Well, why do we need to put him through some simple trials? Anyone could look good at such a low difficulty," Pryce said with a smug look. "Let's put his operator skills to the ultimate test." Pryce took over the keyboard and entered some new commands into the terminal.

"No!" Max said when he saw what Pryce had activated. Onscreen the words 'Net Battle Simulator: Navi Battle' were displayed. "You want him to fight him with Faze?"

"Hey, why not? Let the greenhorn show us he can take the heat," Pryce said with a level of arrogance. "Come on, Nat, take me on in the arena."

"You want to fight him after only one battle?" Cat said. "What are you trying to prove?"

"Hey, let him answer, will ya?" Pryce said, continuing to flaunt his perceived superiority. "It was gonna happen sooner or later."

Nat nervously looked back and forth at the other operators. He glanced at his PET for guidance from Xe.

"What do you think, Xe?" he asked. "Do you think we should try?"

"Back when I was being operated by Lan, I'd be up for any challenge," Xe replied. "I'm ready if you think you can handle it."

Nat contemplated some more. _I'm still kind of new at this but…I think I might be able to handle Pryce and Faze…what's there to lose?_ Nat thought. "Alright, you're on!" Nat said, full of confidence.

_**To be continued…**_


End file.
